Chocolate-covered strawberries might make a lot of sense in June, but in the middle of February high quality ones that won't break the bank are hard to come by. Beyond that, I've got treats to plan for a classroom of five and six year olds and, if I don't want to make enemies with the teacher, I'd better find something less messy than juicy berries covered in thick layers of chocolate.
So I'll make cookies.
Not just any cookies. I'm making itty-bitty chocolate chip cookies that taste like strawberries. They fit easily into a hand, aren't very crumbly, and might leave a little trace of chocolate here or there, but are way less messy than a berry wrapped in chocolate. What's more, they are super easy to put together, won't break the bank, and store well. You could even make them this week and send them to school or the office (or both!) next week and they will still be soft and delicious. It's going to be a very sweet Valentine's Day! I'll save the berries wrapped in chocolate for late spring.
Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1 box (18.25 oz) strawberry cake mix
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the cake mix and baking powder. Mix gently. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed just until the dry and wet ingredients combine to form a dough. It will be sticky. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Using a #60 disher, drop rounded mounds of the batter evenly spaced on a baking sheet covered with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. 12-16 cookies will fit on each sheet, depending on the size of your baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the cookies are puffed, but not browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire wrack to cool completely.
Store the cookies in a sealed plastic container for up to a week.
- Yields: About 4 dozen small cookies
- Preparation Time: 50 minutes